Mio Hosokawa

Autologous Transplantation of the Internal Limiting Membrane for Refractory Macular Holes

PURPOSE To determine the effectiveness of autologous transplantation of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) for refractory macular holes. DESIGN Prospective, interventional case series. PATIENT AND METHODS Ten eyes of 10 consecutive patients who underwent autologous transplantation of the ILM for the treatment of refractory macular holes were studied. The primary diseases in these patients were large idiopathic macular holes that had existed for more than 1 year (4 eyes), a traumatic macular hole (1 eye), myopic foveoschisis (2 eyes), foveoschisis resulting from pit-macular syndrome (2 eyes), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (1 eye). Apart from the 5 eyes with idiopathic or traumatic macular holes, macular holes developed in the other 5 eyes after initial vitrectomies with ILM removal. In all eyes, regular macular hole surgery failed to achieve closure. The main outcome measures used in this study were macular hole closure and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS Macular holes were closed successfully in 9 eyes (90%) after autologous transplantation of the ILM. The postoperative BCVAs were significantly better than the preoperative BCVAs (P = .007, paired t test). Postoperative BCVAs improved by more than 0.2 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution units in 8 eyes (80%) and were unchanged in 2 eyes (20%). CONCLUSIONS Although this is a pilot study, the results suggest that autologous transplantation of the ILM may contribute to improved anatomic and visual outcomes in the treatment of refractory macular holes and may warrant further investigation.

Six-month results of intravitreal aflibercept injections for patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Background This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of intravitreal aflibercept injection for polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods Eighteen eyes of 17 consecutive patients with PCV received three consecutive monthly intravitreal injections of aflibercept and one additional injection 2 months later (four injections totally). All patients underwent eye examinations, which included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography. The primary endpoint of the study was the regression of polypoidal lesions. The secondary endpoints were BCVA, central retinal thickness (CRT) and changes in retinal exudation. Results Six months after the first aflibercept injection, the polypoidal lesions were completely resolved in 14 eyes (77.7%) and partially resolved in 4 eyes (22.2%). Although branching choroidal vascular networks were still present in all eyes, retinal exudative changes had completely resolved in 17 eyes (94.4%), and the mean CRT decreased significantly from 407.2±100.1 µm to 229.1±57.2 µm (p<0.0001). BCVA (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution, logMAR) improved significantly from 0.414±0.384 at baseline to 0.297±0.334 after 6 months (p=0.016). Conclusions At 6 months, aflibercept monotherapy effectively reduced polyps, retinal exudation and CRT in patients with PCV.

Comparison of halving the irradiation time or the verteporfin dose in photodynamic therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy using reduced irradiation time or reduced verteporfin dose for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy. Methods: Between April 2011 and December 2013, 45 eyes with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (43 consecutive patients) were treated with photodynamic therapy, using either half the irradiation time (18 eyes) or half the verteporfin dose (27 eyes). Outcome measures at follow-up, over at least 3 months, were complete resolution of serous retinal detachment, best-corrected visual acuity, and central retinal thickness. Results: After 3 months, serous retinal detachment had completely resolved in 88.8% of eyes in both treatment groups, which were therefore not significantly different. The logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity (Snellen equivalent) improved from 0.245 (20/35) to 0.130 (20/27) (P < 0.05, paired t-test) in the reduced time group and from 0.283 (20/38) to 0.138 (20/27) (P < 0.05) in the reduced verteporfin group. Final best-corrected visual acuities in the 2 groups were not significantly different. Central retinal thicknesses dropped from 337.0 &mgr;m to 146.6 &mgr;m (P < 0.05) in the reduced time group and from 343.5 &mgr;m to 166.9 &mgr;m (P < 0.05) in the reduced verteporfin group. No ocular or systemic side effects were observed. Conclusion: Reduced irradiation time and reduced verteporfin dose were equally effective and safe in photodynamic therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

Successful resolution of stromal keratitis and uveitis using canakinumab in a patient with chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, and articular syndrome: a case study

BackgroundCryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a group of rare autoinflammatory diseases, and of these, chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, and articular/neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (CINCA/NOMID) syndrome has the most severe phenotype. Canakinumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-1β, has been shown to be an effective treatment for resolving systemic inflammation. However, its efficacy for treating ophthalmic symptoms of this disorder remains unclear.FindingsA 64-year-old female reported episodes of nonpruritic urticaria, fever, aseptic meningitis, and bilateral sensorineural deafness. Her son had experienced similar symptoms. She was initially referred for ophthalmologic treatment for an infectious corneal ulcer. Examination of her right eye by slit lamp biomicroscopy showed diffuse conjunctival injection, corneal infiltrates, a corneal ulcer, and hypopyon. She was therefore treated aggressively with topical and systemic antibiotics in addition to antifungal medications. However, this was ineffective. Genetic analysis detected the heterozygous germline p.Asp303Asn mutation in the NLRP3 gene in both our patient and her son. She was therefore diagnosed with CINCA/NOMID syndrome based on her clinical manifestations. All of the patient’s physical and ophthalmic symptoms were resolved within a few days after the initiation of canakinumab treatment. During an 18-month follow-up period, no adverse events or severe infections were observed.ConclusionsOur case report indicates that canakinumab is effective not only for the treatment of systemic inflammation but also for treating ophthalmic involvement, such as recurrent stromal keratitis and anterior uveitis.

Factors affecting foveal avascular zone in healthy eyes: An examination using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography

Objective To examine factors affecting foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area in healthy eyes using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods This prospective, cross-sectional study included 144 eyes of 144 individuals (77 women, 67 men) with a best corrected visual acuity of at least 20/20 and no history of ocular disorders. The area of the superficial FAZ was assessed using OCTA. Age, gender, central retinal thickness (CRT), retinal vascular density, refractive error, and axial length were examined to determine associations with FAZ area. Results The mean age of the subjects was 42.1 ± 20.2 years (range: 10–79 years). The mean FAZ area was 0.32 ± 0.11 mm2, while the mean retinal vascular density was 35.53 ± 0.92%. Multivariate regression analysis was performed using FAZ area as the dependent variable and age, gender, CRT, retinal vascular density, refractive error, and axial length as independent variables. The results of this analysis demonstrate that CRT and retinal vascular density were significantly associated with FAZ area in our sample (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.425). Age, gender, refractive error, and axial length were not significantly correlated with FAZ area, while CRT and retinal vascular density were negatively correlated with FAZ area (CRT: P < 0.001, R2 = 0.356; retinal vascular density: P < 0.001, R2 = 0.189). Conclusions OCTA results suggest that CRT and retinal vascular density negatively affect FAZ area in healthy eyes.

Assessment of Lamellar Macular Hole and Macular Pseudohole With a Combination of En Face and Radial B-scan Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging

PURPOSE To investigate lamellar macular hole (LMH) and macular pseudohole (MPH) using a combination of en face and radial B-scan OCT. DESIGN Retrospective observational case series. METHODS Setting: Institutional study. PATIENT POPULATION En face and radial B-scan OCT images of 63 eyes of 60 patients diagnosed with LMH or MPH based on an international classification were reviewed. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES Cases were classified using en face images based on the presence/absence of epiretinal membrane (ERM), retinal folds, parafoveal epicenter of contractile ERM (PEC-ERM), and retinal cleavage. We compared the en face imaging-based classification system with the international classification system using radial B-scan images. We quantitatively evaluated visual function and macular morphology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Characterization of multimodal OCT-based subtypes of LMH and MPH. RESULTS All cases showed ERM and were classified into 4 groups. In the first group, which lacked retinal folds and showed significantly lower visual acuity than the other groups, 81% of eyes had degenerative LMH. In the second group, which lacked PEC-ERM and retinal cleavage and showed significantly lower retinal fold depth, all eyes had MPH. The third group, in which 95% of eyes had symmetric tractional LMH, included eyes with retinal cleavage but without PEC-ERM, and this group showed higher circularity of the foveal aperture and cleavage area than the group with both these features, in which all eyes had asymmetric tractional LMH. CONCLUSIONS Multimodal OCT enables classification of LMH and MPH based on pathologic conditions. Retinal traction in particular may be useful for determining treatment methods.

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF IDIOPATHIC FOVEOMACULAR RETINOSCHISIS.

Purpose: To describe the clinical features of idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis not in association with myopia, glaucoma, optic disk pit, or juvenile retinoschisis. Methods: Retrospective observational case series. Five eyes of five patients with idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis were included. Results: The patients were 2 men and 3 women (average age, 75.2 years; range, 71–78 years). The average spherical equivalent was +2.40 diopters (range, +0.88 to +5.75 diopters), and the average axial length was 22.0 mm (range, 21.1–23.1 mm). All patients had retinoschisis from the macula to the optic disk in the affected eye. No patients had retinoschisis in the fellow eye. The average best-corrected visual acuity was 20/44 (68 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter score). Conclusion: Idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis is not inherited or associated with myopia, vitreomacular traction syndrome, optic pit, or glaucoma but is associated with older age, unilaterality, hyperopia with short axial length, complete posterior vitreous detachment, and weak leakage from the optic disk on fluorescein angiography.

Embedding of lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation combined with internal limiting membrane inversion for the treatment of lamellar macular hole: a case report

BackgroundWe recently reported that lamellar macular hole (LMH) with lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) can be effectively treated by embedding the LHEP into the retinal cleavage to improve foveal contour and visual acuity. Here, we report a case of LMH with LHEP for which we performed embedding of the LHEP combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) inversion. We then evaluated the effects of this surgery on macular morphology and visual functions.Case presentationA 62-year-old man presented with visual disturbance (20/29) and metamorphopsia in his right eye. B-scan optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging revealed the presence of both partial-thickness defect of the macula with degenerative retinal cleavage and LHEP at the surface of the retina. En face OCT imaging showed the absence of retinal fold. We performed phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation, vitrectomy, embedding of LHEP into the retinal cleavage, and ILM inversion. Three months after the surgery, both foveal contour and visual acuity (20/20) were improved and metamorphopsia was reduced.ConclusionEmbedding of the LHEP combined with ILM inversion may be an effective treatment for LMH with LHEP.

Surgical outcome of idiopathic epiretinal membranes with intraretinal cystic spaces

Objective To investigate the occurrence ratio, localization, and surgical outcomes of intraretinal cystic spaces in idiopathic epiretinal membranes (ERMs). Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 432 eyes of 398 consecutive patients with idiopathic ERM who underwent vitrectomy and ERM peeling from January 2012 to September 2015. We selected cases with intraretinal cystic space prior to surgery, detected by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. We then evaluated the effects of ERM peeling on intraretinal cystic spaces, best corrected visual acuity, and central retinal thickness at 6 months after surgery. Results Twenty-four eyes (5.5%) showed intraretinal cystic spaces before surgery, present in the inner retinal layer (the inner group) in 9 eyes, in the outer retinal layer (the outer group) in 6 eyes, and in both the inner and the outer retinal layers (the combined group) in 9 eyes. Additionally, 30 eyes with ERM but without any presence of intraretinal cystic space were selected randomly and classified as the no cyst group. At 6 months after surgery, the disappearance rate of cystic spaces was significantly greater for the outer group than for the inner group (83.3% and 11.1%, respectively, P = 0.011). The mean best corrected visual acuity improved significantly after surgery in the inner group, the outer group, and the no cyst group (P < 0.05 for all three groups) but did not improve in the combined group (P = 0.58). The mean central retinal thickness decreased significantly after surgery in the inner group, the combined group, and the no cyst group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Intraretinal cystic spaces were observed in 5.5% of preoperative idiopathic ERM cases. Following surgery, the cystic spaces in the outer retinal layer disappeared at higher rates than those in the inner retinal layer, suggesting that the pathophysiologies of these cystic spaces are different.